Lighting

Remember the rugs I want from Curious Sofa? I am still jone-sing for those, but right now, they aren't available in the size I need for the kitchen.  My house is big, but my rooms are small, in the old part of the house. And this is AFTER removing some walls!

I found these plain bamboo mats at Old Time Pottery for under $25 each. They are far, far, far from the quality of the ones at Curious Sofa. Those have wider, more solid planks of bamboo, more floor like than this.   These are pretty light weight, and are a temporary solution for me.

To foof them up a bit, I drew on them with a brown Sharpie marker.  It was an easy, quick project to do, I just sat on the floor and doodled away while Sugarwings and Twinkle played with toys next to me. 

The reason I love the bamboo rugs for my kitchen to start with, is that they are low maintenance.  If something spills, or mud gets tracked in, just sweep and mop them, and its a speedy clean up.  But, I don't have to worry about as much filth showing  (and with 3 dogs, a 3 year old, and a lot of grown men in living in this country house, there is plenty of filth!)  because they are darker than the horrid light colored tiles we have.

By the way, if you are ever tempted to install cream colored flooring, just whack yourself over the head with one of the tiles instead.  DO NOT give in to impulse!! I regret it daily. No matter how clean my house is, those floors always look bad.

(please don't tell Twinkle that the photo is of the rug, not of her, it would break her heart.)

 

I'm wishing we'd gone for darker tile, or even a really dark stained pine plank...

Soft lighting helps, though!  Last night we had a dinner party, and I made use of all my lamps.

The overhead lights got turned off and I switched on all the smaller lamps and lit candles instead. (this rug still needs some Sharpie doodling) There is something about the soft glow coming from the corners of the room that makes me fall in love with my home all over again.  

When we built the cabinets, I had electrical outlets added above them.  There is one in the corner cabinet too. In that one, I drilled holes to run an extension cord up through, so I could have a little 25 watt lamp on each shelf.

And of course, you can't beat candle light either.  I use this old chandelier with no wiring ($4 at a flea market) and the sockets perfectly fit tea lights.  Previously, I used candelabras, till I realized that they are always in the way and block the view of the person across the table.

Tea lights don't drip, and burn for just over 2 hours or so, just right for a relaxed dinner with friends.

 

The snow still has not melted around here, and I have decided to give up on waiting.  So I trudged through it to claim these garden chairs I wanted for the breakfast nook.   Much better!  The hand painted Victorian chairs are now in the studio, and I think this corner is much less sweet.   I loved the chairs, and I loved the curtains, but when I got those great new lace panels, I realized that I needed some juxtaposition, or my house would look like  a little old lady lived in it.

Well, I might be getting old, but I hope to not let my house reflect it... Some contrast, and some junk help keep a home whimsical and not fussy.

Comments

[Kathy]

I've got white tile and just wiped it up for the umpteenth time. Our snow hasn't melted either. Everything is in a "gorgeous" shade of taupe/grey outside. bleeecchhh!! I hate this time of year. But, your beautiful pictures perked me right up! Your house looks lovely and not at all like an old person's house. It doesn't smell like Ben-gay, right?! So. There you are. Not an old person's house at all. - Cheers, Kathy

[karen]

I love your house! I know what you mean aabout the white tile, we have it in our bathroom and it shows everything!
hugs! karen...

[Lorilee]

I love the black chairs with all of the white! Actually, your whole house is beautiful!
Blessings,
Lorilee

[LiLi M.]

Ooh Karla, you have outdone yourself doodling that rug!!! Of course the effect would have been not nearly as gorgeous if you hadn't taken photos of Twinkle sitting on it. White tiles aren't very convenient, but a very dark tile makes you feel sad. Just take wood, you won't see the stains as much as on tiles or take a good quality wood laminate, of course it is fake but it is very very low maintainance and not so bad if you take a good quality.

[Bobbi]

Hi Sweet Karla! I was just looking so intently at your photos in this spread that my husband asked me what on earth I was looking for! I couldn't figure out that the chandelier with tea lights was a part of your centerpiece, but now I got it. Lovely. Your home looks (in the stillness and time-stopping moments of blogland) to be so completely peaceful and soul-quieting, you know, no tv, no barking dogs, no husbands cursing when they hit the thumb with hammer. I have decided to just go with that fantasy, and pretend your life really is like that. Sigh. And you are a princess, floating around with yards of lace trimmed velvet garments and a tiara at all times. What do you think? (Maybe that will be Another Children's Book suggestion!!!) BTW, am sending you a question via email for an opinion on my woodwork, if you wouldn't mind helping. It is all a matter of taste, I know, but you have more vision than I do. Your friend, Bobbi

[karen young]

Karla, Twinks is such a little sweetheart. It's so neat how she likes to have her picture taken. You dining and kitchen area looks gorgeous. I also like the doodles on your mat.

Hugs Karen

[Suz Reaney]

Karla,
You never fail to amaze me when I hear what you can do. Electrical work! My Gosh! Jud is puzzling over how to hang my mini chandelier that I got on Etsy (oh it is sooo cute!) even as I write. We antiques a new ...(whatever the round piece that goes flat against the wall) last night and it matches the old chandelier beautiful so we aren't totally helpless :-)

I though you had stamped the bamboo! Your doodling is great. Your house looked so lovely for the party. Lighting is all, sometimes.We have a lot of rheostat's and ambient light and, boy, can it make the house look better!

I have a pink linoleum in our bathroom...end of a redecorating project, you know. It has looked awful from day one. Most of our house is natural wood. We loved the maple upstairs. Our kitchen floors and cabinets also need to be redone but with my daughter in school, it will not happen yet.

Love that puppy! Am being crowded by my two little rats right now. They need to be trimmed...badly!

[Janis]

Hi Karla,
Ok......I fight the urge daily........to not rip up my
kitchen floor which is white, (well it was when it was new),
and whack myself along side of my head with it. Why? Why? did
I choose white flooring?? Yesssss, it is pretty (or was)
but, I too am soooooo tired of the constant clean-up.

Dogs + melting yucky snow + humans taking dogs outside +
yucky mud + old icemelt on sidewalk and driveway =
....one big messy white floor!! :(

Oh yeah......I'm nearing the head whacking stage very quickly!!

I do love your solution though and your kitchen is
so pretty. Twinkle looks so cute sitting on the
bamboo rug. : ) : )
Off to clean the floor again, my dogs just came in.
(I do love them dearly)

Hugs,
Janis

[Myrna]

Sigh. You never cease to amaze me, Karla! What a wonderful embellishment to those bamboo 'rugs'! And, trust me, your house will never look like a little old lady lives there..your home looks wistful, serene and magical!!
Keep warm!
Myrna

[Lori]

Karla, your home looks so pretty and inviting...the doodling you did on your rug is adorable, what a great idea to pretty up and make it uniquely yours...and sweet Twinkle posing on it makes it that much better...

[Jenny]

I just love that metal table! Just beautiful!!!

[Brenda Kula]

I just love the soft-lit corners of your house, Karla. I wish I had room above my cabinets for some little lamps. I hate overhead light (except when I'm photographing something; hate the flash even worse!) and love lamplight. With two cats and two dogs and a saltwater aquarium and two adults in my house, my light tiles (not quite as light as yours) always look dirty too. I got rid of all my carpet and put in laminate flooring due to the pets. Rather have dirt than not have my pets!
Brenda

[Sandy]

Karla,
all looks great! I thought you bought the rug with the doodling on it. It really does dress it up and your puppy is so adorable, of course don't tell her she'll get an attitude!
I have a dining table similar to yours and noticed that you painte yours...I'm thinking of doing that as the top is so marred. Don't ever think your house looks like an old lady lives there, it looks very avant guarde!!
Stay warm,
Sandy

[Soarenth]

Cute job on the mats! Sorry they're not what you want long-term, but you sure made them look top-notch with your drawings. Would that my doodles were so amazing. Another fun thing is that by seeing you be creative with your decorations, Sugarwings is sure to grow up creative too.

Indirect lighting does wonders for romancing a place, doesn't it?

Good for you not letting the weather stop you from making your home a touch more the dream you want it.

[Kathy Bozeman]

Soft lamp lighting is so homey and inviting, as your pictures show. Wow, I love your rug doodling. My talent is to greatly admire and appreciate people with your amazing artistic talent. The light fabric covers on the metal chairs are a perfect softening element. Thank you so much for sharing your talents.

[Heather ~ Pretty Petals]

Looks gorgeous Karla... I love how you fixed up the rugs. Hmmm... you have been adding lots of brown lately.. it looks beautiful with all of your pretty colors you have in your home.

xo

[Stephanie]

Twinkles looks pretty darn cute in "her" pics! Love what you did with the bamboo rugs, too. Everything just looks so magical by accent/candle light. You made me giggle when you talk about not wanting your home to look like an old lady lives there! I feel EXACTLY the same way and want my home to at least reflect that a whimsical crazy old fun-loving lady lives here!

Big TX Hugs,
Stephanie
Angelic Accents

[Bev]

Karla, I love your bamboo rugs! I love your solution with the artwork around the border, they are gorgeous!...I think that when you put your personal touch to things you work a special kind of magic...in your creative hands, the ordinary becomes a priceless treasure:)

and the centerpiece is beautiful...I am going to keep my eye open for such treasures at my local shops, though they are few and far between, it would make for a fun treasure hunt :)

Thank you again for sharing, your posts never cease to delight and inspire:) ~ Bev

[Zita-Mlle Magpie]

Karla, your kitchen is gorgeous!

[aimee]

i love curious sofa! was so sad, though, to see that they took down that sweet little song by baguette quartette that they used to play on the intro to the site. i have a nifty iron wall rack (kind of like a potato chip rack) that i picked up there a few years ago. well, if you can't score the rugs, i'm sure you will find another way to adorn your floor beautifully, o queen of foofdom!

[Claudia]

Everything looks lovely, Karla. I love little lamps throughout the house. And my bath has cream colored tile and it makes me crazy - never looks clean, including (or especially) the grout.

xo
Claudia

[Niesz Vintage Home]

Oh, your home is so pretty! Love the soft lighting.
I set the "mood lighting" in house almost every evening.
Turn of the overheads and turn on the chandy and twinkle lights. :-)

And a Sharpie? How clever! It looks fantastic!
Kimberly

[bettyann]

Looking good honey...you have made the best of the lovely items you have on havd...keep going, looking forward to watching your next adventure...

[Katie]

Twinkle is darling! You are so resourceful ~ makes me want to go home and do something creative after work today! I loved getting to peek inside of your domain! Blessings!

[Andrea Villarreal]

Your blog inspitation never ceases to amaze me! A brown sharpie can do that!! What the heck:) I love it. Your home looks lovely.

[Shellagh Selee]

Your home is so beautiful! And your pup is too!!! Please stop by my site today, I have something for you!
Shellagh

[Kerryanne English]

Oh yes, candle light is always better. I like the way it softens the look of my wrinkles too - LOL.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne

[Sherry Williams]

Your home is so gorgeous, Karla. I love the lighting about the cabinets & the bamboo rug that you added your own touch to. I'm surprised you haven't painted your much hated white tiles!!!lol
hugs, Sherry

[michelle]

So pretty! We has tile with white tile with white grout in CA. How can they even be allowed to sell something like that! It was awful!

[Explosion Proof String Lighting]

I've being researching about lights and reading your blog, I found your post very helpful :) . I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog!

[Susan Freeman]

I think that Bentley has a crush on Twinkle.
Susan
(Bentley's Mom)
xxoo

[catiean]

everything you make is so beautiful and unique. I would love to give a bird or two a new home!!
catie

[zhenie]

I love the rug in the first picture with the dog. so elegant and have a different style.